June 2016

Engine 2 Plant Strong Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Popped Crisps
Bought at: Whole Foods
Price: $2.99
Repeat Purchase: No (womp womp)
I had such high hopes for these. Based on the name alone I expected to love them. Sweet potato and cinnamon?! Check and check. Upon first taste, however, I was underwhelmed. After trying them a few more times they did grow on me. Unfortunately, it never grew to the “I really like these” level. It only got to the “I can tolerate them so I’ll finish the bag to avoid wasting money” level. They’re not that sweet, so if you want a sweeter snack, look elsewhere. In fact, they’re pretty bland. I barely detected any cinnamon (or sweet potato for that matter). One serving is 26 crisps for 100 calories so you get a good “caloric bang” for your buck. Let’s talk about the really important stuff though, like it’s nutrients. Each serving has 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein – not amazing but better than nothing. To its benefit, it is low in sugar, sodium, and fat. With one bag having 3.5 servings and costing $3, it boils down to about $1.17 per serving. Since it’s middle of the road in terms of taste, nutrition, and cost I would pass on these.

I loved these appropriately named frozen yogurt bars. You know how you say “Yass!” when you approve of something. Well Yass to these Yasso bars! These were my favorite snack of the bunch. That’s saying a lot because I really enjoyed almost all of them. I don’t know what it is about these frozen bars (remember the Rhubarb bars from my last roundup), but they’re winning. These are delicious! Get them, get them, get them NOW! Each bar has 5 grams of protein and 15% of your daily recommended amount of calcium. While I purchased mine at Harris Teeter, I’ve also seen them at Walmart and Publix. One box costs $4 and has 4 bars so the cost per serving is $1. Not cheap but not terrible either. With the amazing taste and solid nutritional profile, there’s no doubt I’ll be buying these again (spoiler: I already have). They have other flavors like cookies and cream and sea salt caramel. I’ve yet to try those, but I’m sure they’re delicious. With the first triple digit temperature of the year creeping around the corner, I need to maintain my stock.

The good news is that these were delicious! In fact they were the runner up for my favorite snack. The bad news is that these little suckers were so hard to pin down for a repeat purchase. I first spotted them at Target while we were in Savannah and just got one box. Of course I ended up loving them and couldn’t find them anywhere once I got home. After a great deal of persistence, I finally succeeded in finding them. The box says this flavor is exclusively sold at Target, and for a limited time only (#nopressure). One box costs $3 and contains 6 bars so the cost per serving is $0.50 which is pretty good. These are little so they’re not filling by any means, but they do offer a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth or end a meal on a sweet note. Given how small they are, it’s pretty impressive that each bar has 5 grams of fiber. Between the taste, the fiber content, and the reasonable price I definitely will be a repeat buyer (again I already am). If you’re lucky enough to come across these, pick up a box or five:)

Annie’s Honey Wheat Pretzels
Bought at: Whole Foods
Price: $2.50 (sale price)
Repeat Purchase: Yes

I throughly enjoyed these honey wheat pretzels. They were simple but delicious. Not only did I have them as a snack, I also ate them with sandwiches and wraps. Pure pretzel perfection. They were savory but not overly salty with a nice hint of honey at the end. These would make a great travel or on the go snack. In fact, I’m planning on picking up another bag for an upcoming trip. Now pretzels are generally referred to as nutritionally “neutral.” This just means that while they don’t tend to contain high amounts of the stuff that’s bad for you (e.g. saturated fats and cholesterol), they also don’t contain high amounts of the stuff that’s good for you either (e.g. protein, fiber, or specific vitamins or minerals). What these pretzels do have in their favor are that they’re made with all organic ingredients and they’re not high in calories. Not everything we eat is going to provide us with important nutrients and that’s okay. If they have a low fiber content but they also have a low saturated fat content, that’s not bad in my book. What’s important is that a majority of what we eat provides nutritional value. Given the great taste, reasonable price, and the fact that it doesn’t offer high amounts of harmful nutrients, I would buy this one again.

Siggi’s Raspberry Yogurt
Bought at: Harris Teeter or Publix
Price: $1.25 (sale price)
Repeat Purchase: Yes

I’m a big fan of Siggi’s. I’ve tried a few of their flavors and enjoyed them all but this is one of my faves.  Other flavors you may want to check out are blueberry, orange and ginger, and pomegranate and passionfruit. These are typically 3 for $5 but they often go on sale for 4 for $5. This makes the cost per serving $1.66 (or $1.25 if they’re on sale). I love how much protein they have in them – one 5.3 oz. container has 14 grams (that’s roughly the same amount as 2 large eggs). They’re not as sweet as other yogurts which I honestly don’t mind. I find them to be sweet enough. They also have a pretty dense consistency which makes them more filling than your average yogurt (even thicker than Chobani). I’ve repurchased these countless times.

Til next month, snack easy friends!